There's no need to ever feel left out again at the water cooler conversation. Here's a rundown of the stories currently trending in the world, the country and your backyard.

Yahoo

"Crafty trick" –
North Korea signaled little interest in new talks to diffuse the tense situation
in that part of the world as they branded an offer to sit down and talk with
South Korea a "crafty trick." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry just ended a three-day trip designed to persuade North Korea to hold talks with South Korea,
China and Japan to work toward a
peaceful end to the ongoing threat of a nuclear attack. Full story: The Associated Press

Will it pass:
The bill to expand background checks on gun purchases is expected to
come to a vote this week in the Senate, and those supporting the legislation
say the odds of it's passage is too close to call. The bill did pick up some support this
weekend. Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Sen.
Mark Kirk of Illinois, both Republicans, said they would vote for the bill. Full story: CBS

"Not giving anything away": Florida Sen. Marco Rubio offered a few details
Sunday of the bipartisan immigration bill set to be unveiled this week. Rubio said
on ABC's "This Week," that under the legislation becoming a legal citizen
would be neither quick nor inexpensive for undocumented immigrants now living
in the United States. But Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, also appearing on
the program, was skeptical. "I know
Senator Rubio's heart is exactly right. And I really respect the work of the
"Gang of Eight." But they have produced legislation, it
appears... that will give amnesty now, legalize everyone that's here effectively
today and then there's a promise of enforcement in the future." Full story: ABC
News

Is the GED on the way out: Forty states are part of a
working group that's considering an alternative to the General Education Development
(GED) high school equivalency test. The newest version of the test, due out
next January, will cost twice what it does now and will require test takers to
use a computer. More states, which are responsible for granting equivalency
diplomas, are saying the cost for administering the test has become too high.
Full story: The Associated Press

Um, what: While visiting the home of Anne Frank, the Jewish
teenage who hid in an attack to avoid
the Nazis during World War II, pop singer Justin Bieber wrote in the museum's
guestbook that he would have hoped the teen who died in a concentration camp
would have been a "Belieber," or a fan of the singer. The museum's Facebook page
soon after lit up with shock and awe at the 19-year-old's comments. The entire entry said, ''Truly
inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would
have been a Belieber.'' Hopefully he will read a history book. Full story: The Associated Press

In the animal kingdom, it's tough to scare a gorilla. Unless, of course, you're this goose.

Just what is it that your heart will do in the song from "Titanic?" If you've every been sure you knew the lyrics to a popular song, then realized you didn't, watch this comedian.

Al.com

So not only are we miserable... : As if being the third most miserable city in the country wasn't enough, now we're
the fourth fattest. According to the website 24/7 Wall Street, Miserable Mobile
now looks a little "hippy." The Port
City was slammed on the site for a 33.7 percent obesity rate. Read the full 24/7 Wall
Street story on America's fattest cities here, then
have your doughnut. Next year we go for number 1.

Teacher indicted: A grand jury has indicted a Mary G.
Montgomery High School math teacher on charges she had
a sexual relationship with a student. A Mobile County grand jury indicted math teacher Alicia Gray on charges
of first-degree sodomy, sexual abuse and being a school employee who engaged in
a sex act with a student younger than 19.

Union organizing: The German union IG Metall
is distributing materials to employees
of Alabama's Mercedes-Benz plant in an effort to build support for the UAW. The material includes a website address for employees
to look at the benefits of forming a union at the Tuscaloosa plant.